The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a solid feed pump, and more specifically, to a system to vent the solid feed pump.
A typical pump designed for solids, such as particulate matter, has a single continuous channel or multiple continuous channels. For example, the pump may be a rotary pump that drives solids along a circular path from an inlet at low pressure to an outlet at high pressure. During transport through the pump, the solids lock-up, increase in pressure, and exit the pump at a generally constant rate. In a compacted condition at the outlet, the solids block backflow of a high pressure gas. However, some of the gas may leak past the solids and interfere with intake of the solids at the inlet to reduce pump performance.